Stephen F. Austin

Nov. 11, 2003

PLANO, Texas - The Southland Conference has announced the largest basketball television package in its 40-year history, as league teams will be televised in a total of 13 men's and women's games in 2003-04.

Continuing its long-standing relationship with Fox Sports Net Southwest, nine regular-season contests and the women's postseason tournament championship game will be broadcast on the network. Among the nine regular season broadcasts, the package will feature two women's regular-season contests.

"We are very pleased to offer an expanded television package of Southland basketball this season," Southland commissioner Tom Burnett said. "We are committed to providing more basketball coverage in the future, which gives our current student-athletes more opportunities for proper exposure, and perhaps allows our coaches a better opportunity to recruit in the years to come."

The Fox Southwest package tips off Monday, Nov. 24, with the first of four non-conference games as reigning Southland Conference champion Sam Houston State visits Texas. Texas will also host preseason Southland favorite Texas-Arlington in a Fox Southwest broadcast on Jan. 2.

"Fox Sports Net Southwest has provided the Southland with fantastic opportunities through the years, and we are appreciative that the network continues to be a great partner with the league," Burnett added.

On Dec. 18, the Southland will play host to a televised doubleheader on Fox Southwest with Lamar entertaining Rice at 6 p.m., followed by Texas-San Antonio playing host to Texas A&M at 8 p.m.

A rematch of the 2003 Southland men's tournament championship game will take place Jan. 29 when Stephen F. Austin plays host to Sam Houston State. SFA will also appear on the package on Feb. 14 when the Lumberjacks travel to Texas-Arlington. The men's regular-season broadcast package on Fox will finish with Lamar entertaining Louisiana-Monroe on Feb. 28.

On the women's side, Fox Southwest will televise defending Southland champ Texas-San Antonio at Stephen F. Austin on Feb. 5. In the other women's regular-season broadcast, Northwestern State will host Texas-Arlington on Feb. 26. The women's tournament championship game will take place March 13 at 1 p.m., at the site of the highest remaining tournament seed.

"We are very excited about bringing more women's games to the package," Burnett added. "It is very important to the league that we actively promote and televise our women's basketball programs."

On other networks, Texas State will play at New Orleans on Nov. 22, in a men's gamed televised by ESPN Regional, and McNeese State will travel to LSU for a Cox Sports Television-Louisiana broadcast on Nov. 24.

Also, ESPN2 will again carry the Southland men's tournament championship game to a national audience on March 12 at 3:30 p.m.

2003-04 SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE BASKETBALL TELEVISION SCHEDULE
DATE MATCHUP NETWORK TIME
Sat., Nov. 22 MEN Texas State at New Orleans ESPN Regional TBA
Mon., Nov. 24 MEN Sam Houston State at Texas Fox Southwest 7:00
Mon., Nov. 24 MEN McNeese State at LSU Cox Sports-La. 7:00
Thu., Dec. 18 MEN Rice at Lamar Fox Southwest 6:00
Thu., Dec. 18 MEN Texas A&M at Texas-San Antonio Fox Southwest 8:00
Fri., Jan. 2 MEN Texas-Arlington at Texas Fox Southwest 7:00
Thu., Jan. 29 MEN Sam Houston at Stephen F. Austin Fox Southwest 7:00
Thu., Feb. 5 WOMEN Texas-San Antonio at Stephen F. Austin Fox Southwest 6:30
Sat., Feb. 14 MEN Stephen F. Austin at Texas-Arlington Fox Southwest Noon
Thu., Feb. 26 WOMEN Texas-Arlington at Northwestern State Fox Southwest 7:30
Sat., Feb. 28 MEN Louisiana-Monroe at Lamar Fox Southwest 7:00
Fri., March 12 MEN Southland Tournament Championship ESPN-2 3:30
Sat., March 13 WOMEN Southland Tournament Championship Fox Southwest 1:00

All Times Central Standard.
Times and dates subject to change.